When You Wish Upon a Star
by Storywriter55
Summary: Christmas is right around the corner and little Liam Caffrey has a few wishes up his sleeve. Short little fluffy piece, part of the 'Milestones' series (8.9 years)


_Our milder than normal start to winter got me thinking about how disappointed kids are at not being able to play in the snow._ _Liam Caffrey is no exception to the rule._ _Happy holidays to you and your families!_

 **When You Wish Upon a Star**

Neal finished checking the weather forecast on his laptop and glanced over at his young son staring out the patio door, looking like he'd lost his best friend.

'But it's _supposed_ to snow at Christmas' Liam said sadly as he looked out at the dried up leaves still covering the backyard.

'Well, we don't control the weather, buddy' Neal said as he walked over to where his son stood, lovingly ruffling his hair. 'Usually, it _does_ snow at Christmas but sometimes it doesn't.'

'But Christmas won't come if there's no snow.' the three-and-a-half-year-old whined. 'How will Santa get his sleigh up and down the street?'

'Santa _always_ finds a way' Neal answered with a reassuring smile. 'You know that.'

'But I really wanted us to go sledding. And you said we could build a snowman in the backyard during the holidays.'

'I know I did, buddy; usually there _is_ snow at this time of year but this year...'

'What's going on in here?' Sara asked as she made her way into the Caffrey kitchen, picking up on the somber mood. 'Did somebody die?'

Neal gave his wife an exasperated look; her caustic humor wasn't always age appropriate and he glanced back at Liam, noticing that her comment had gone right over his head.

'Liam was just feeling a little sad that we don't have any snow yet' Neal said as he winked at his wife.

'Ohhh' she responded knowingly. 'Well, there are a lot of _other_ things we could do over the holidays besides play in the snow. What about if we all go bowling next weekend?'

Liam nodded, the sadness not leaving his eyes.

Christmas was just three days away and Sara, for one, was relieved they still hadn't been hit by a major snowstorm - although _that_ was about to change. It was a definite relief not to have to contend with snowbanks and slippery roads while she finished up her Christmas shopping; as a matter of fact, she and Hope were just on their way out to the mall - again, leaving the boys to fend for themselves.

'Hope! Are you ready to go?' Sara called out to her daughter as she slipped into her warm winter coat.

'You're kidding' Neal said, watching Sara throw her purse over her shoulder. ' _More_ Christmas shopping?'

'Well if you two want presents under the tree, you're gonna have to let us do our thing' Sara said as Hope appeared looking just as excited as her mom.

'Well, I guess we're just going to have to make the best of it, huh, buddy?' Neal said, watching Sara and Hope drive away. 'How about I take you to a movie?'

'With popcorn?' Liam asked, his frown morphing into a smile.

' _With_ popcorn!' Neal responded eagerly.

The outing to the local Cineplex seemed to lift Liam's spirits, at least temporarily, but by the time dinner was over, Neal found him staring out the window, once again hoping against hope the white powdery stuff would suddenly appear.

'Oh look!' Neal exclaimed, pointing to the sky. 'There's a shooting star!'

'What's a shooting star?' Liam asked, his eyes riveted to the heavens.

'Oh, a shooting star is the most _special_ kind of star!' Neal explained as he picked Liam up in his arms, bringing his little face closer to his. He let his voice drop low as if confiding a precious secret. 'They say that if you make a wish when you see a shooting star, your wish will come true.'

Liam's eyes lit up at the thought and Neal watched as his little boy closed his eyes tightly. 'I wish for snow' he mumbled under his breath as Neal grinned.

He hugged his son tightly in response. 'You never know...' Neal said mischievously. '...you just never know.'

WCWCWC

'Are you really going to let Liam think that he summoned the snow with his wish?' Sara asked as she and Neal settled into bed for the night.

'What? There's no harm in it. He'll be so excited when he wakes up tomorrow morning and sees that major snowfall they're calling for tonight' Neal said as he pulled on a pair of sleep pants and made his way over to join his wife under the sheets.

'Well, I'm glad I got most of the shopping done today; they're calling for 8 to 10 inches by morning' Sara said, curling up next to her husband in the cozy bed.

The feel of her warm body against his was more than welcome after having spent all day trying to cheer up his three-year-old son and Neal nuzzled Sara's neck, his lips lingering as she giggled.

'Did _you_ make any wishes, little girl?' Neal asked suggestively as he pulled her in closer.

'No...but from the look of things, _you_ did' she answered naughtily. '...and if you play your cards right, your wish just might come true.'

WCWCWC

'I made it snow!' Liam shrieked as he hopped onto his parents' bed, jumping up and down.

Sara glanced over at Neal, rolling her eyes; this was all his doing.

'Did it snow?' Neal asked innocently as Liam continued bouncing up and down on the bed.

'Yes! Yes! Yes!' he answered with glee. Neal grinned widely, pleased with himself.

'It must be the magic of Christmas - and the shooting star' Neal said as he pulled Liam in for a hug; the mattress wouldn't survive much more of his son's pounding.

'Daddy, can we build a snowman?' the excited child asked.

'Sure we can!' Neal answered enthusiastically as Sara looked at him sideways.

'Maybe _I_ can wish for the snowman's eyes to turn into diamonds' she whispered in Neal's direction.

After lunch, the foursome headed out, snuggled up in their warm winter snowsuits and carrying one of Neal's old fedoras as well as a carrot and a couple of large buttons. Liam was thrilled and he and Hope wasted no time, frolicking around the backyard, rolling around in the snow and making snow angels as their parents watched with delight. The snowman completed, they headed inside for hot chocolate, enjoying each other's company, cheeks red and eyes bright.

Liam seemed to be enjoying his newfound supernatural powers and just before bedtime, Neal found him in his room, staring out at the night sky, whispering to himself.

'What's up, buddy? It's time for bed' Neal said as he picked his son up in his arms and carried him over to the nearby bed. 'We've got a big day tomorrow, it's Christmas Eve and Uncle Peter and Aunt Elizabeth are coming over for dinner with Grandma June.'

'...and Uncle Mozzie!' Liam added excitedly.

'Remember, I told you Uncle Mozzie wouldn't be here for Christmas this year, he's leaving tomorrow to visit his friend in Detroit' Neal explained patiently.

'But Daddy, I just wished on a star for him to be here' Liam said of his godfather who was one of his favorite people in the world.

Neal looked at his son, curled up in bed, unsure how to respond. Maybe Sara was right, maybe this 'wishing upon a star' stuff had gone far enough. He hated to see Liam disappointed but he knew for a fact Mozzie was catching a one o'clock flight the next day to go visit his friend and mentor, Mr. Jeffries.

'Was it a _shooting_ star?' Neal asked, trying to let his son down easy.

'No' Liam answered meekly.

'I think it only works with shooting stars, buddy' Neal said, tucking his little boy in.

'No it doesn't!' Liam whined as Neal looked on; he'd unwittingly created unrealistic expectations and now, he wasn't quite sure how to get himself out of the mess he'd made.

'Uncle Moz left a gift for you under the tree, though. You can open it on Christmas morning.' Neal said as Liam curled up in bed.

'It's okay' he said, his eyes closing. 'He'll be here.'

WCWCWC

On Christmas Eve day, the little house on Meadowbrook Street was bustling with activity as Neal and Sara prepared to welcome a houseful of guests. Liam seemed to be in fine spirits all day, adamant that his uncle Mozzie was coming to dinner despite the constant reminders from both his parents that his beloved godfather was already half way to Detroit by now.

The snow fell relentlessly throughout the day as Sara set a beautiful holiday table and Neal busied himself in the kitchen seeing to the food preparation. Hope sat nearby reading and drawing while Liam took up residence on the living room couch, staring out the window, waiting patiently for a guest his parents knew would never arrive.

By four o'clock, Liam was still at his post when the Burkes' car pulled into their driveway carrying his uncle Peter, his aunt Elizabeth and his beloved grandma June. Everyone settled in around the Christmas tree in the living room for drinks and appetizers as the festivities began, Liam still watching the comings and goings on their quiet street.

Sara exchanged worried glances with her husband; maybe it was time to finally burst their son's bubble once and for all.

'Honey' Sara said as she sat down next to Liam and gently touched his blond head. 'Wishing on a star is a lot of fun but...it's make believe. We don't always get what we wish for.'

Liam let himself be coaxed onto Sara's lap as she gave her son an encouraging hug, his eyes still glued to the street.

'Yes we do!' Liam shouted excitedly as he pointed out the window, squirming to slip out of his mother's grasp.

Neal leaned out to see what all the commotion was about, noticing Mozzie's beat up van pulling into their driveway. Within seconds, the door opened and Mozzie appeared, carrying his luggage and covered in snow.

'Uncle Mozzie!' Liam cried out as he threw himself into his godfather's open arms. 'I knew you would come!'

Mozzie looked over at his puzzled hosts, snow covering his shiny dome. 'Do you have room for one more?'

WCWCWC

'Honey, you have to tell him' Sara whispered as she finished rinsing the dinner dishes. 'He needs to understand that Mozzie's here because his flight got canceled not because he made some magical wish upon a star.'

Neal took a plate from her hand, placing it into the dishwasher.

'Sara, what's the harm? Look how happy he is.' Neal answered as they glanced over towards the patio door where Liam was looking out at the freshly fallen snow, a huge grin on his face.

Sara rolled her eyes at her husband as the sound of Liam soft voice was heard in the quiet kitchen, murmuring something quietly. Suddenly, the young boy turned towards his parents, a satisfied smile on his face as he sauntered over to where they both stood in anticipation.

'Guess what?' he exclaimed with unwavering confidence as Neal and Sara braced themselves for what was coming. 'I'm getting a puppy for Christmas...and a baby brother!'

La fin


End file.
